On this blog, we have already mentioned Silent Sam and The Unsung Founders Monument, which are the two best known monuments on UNC’s McCorkle Place. In this post, I would like to shine a light on the third monumental structure, the Caldwell Monument.
The marble obelisk marks the burial site of the first university president Joseph Caldwell, his wife, Helen, and her son from another marriage, William Hooper. The sides of the well-worn pedestal feature an oak leaf, an open bible, a train wheel, and an engineer’s transit. Each inscription highlights a different aspect of Caldwell’s career or personality. However, the most interesting aspect of this monument is not visible on McCorkle Place. The structure standing on the quad now was erected in 1904 replacing a smaller sandstone obelisk that stood in the same place since 1837.
The UNC class of 1891 received the Board of Trustees permission to rededicate the old monument to Wilson Caldwell, November Caldwell, David Barham, and Henry Smith. Wilson and Novemeber Caldwell were slaves owned by Caldwell (and later university president Slain) and Barham and Smith are referred to as longtime servants of the university. According to the UNC Black and Blue Tour, these slaves became employees of the university at the end of slavery.
As a whole, the decision to move the monument is an interesting one. The monument was removed from McCorkle place in 1904 and placed in the cemetery with the intention of rededicating it to Wilson Caldwell. However, it was not actually rededicated until 1922. At the time when the myth of the lost cause ruled the day, I am confused, but pleased, to know that UNC was willing to honor African-Americans who were influential in the early days of the university.
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